Amidst a Raging Blizzard
by Phoenix0725
Summary: It all began when Thatch and Marco went to climb a mountain during a snowstorm. Stupid, right? Things kinda went to hell from there...
1. He Almost Died

_**Yeah. I know. Another story... It was in my head for a while, and I just started writing it down. I also kinda lost inspiration for **_**Burning in the Night**_**, but I have it plotted out. Not sure when the next chapter will be posted, though. As for this story- I already wrote the next chapter, but I won't post it until I've finished the third one. I've also started working on three other stories, one of which is probably going to be a oneshot :)**_

_**Enjoy!**_

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><p>"How much farther is it, Thatch?!" Marco shouted through the blizzard. His brother turned to look back at him.<p>

"Not much farther now!" They slowly continued making their way higher and higher up the mountain. They had been walking for a good two hours already.

"That's what you said an hour ago! What's so important that we have to come all the way up here in this weather, anyway?!" They both trudged onward through the snowstorm, trying to hide their faces from the pelting snow. The wind was so strong, it threatened to knock them over, and every single step had to be carefully planned so neither of the men slipped on the traitorous ice.

"Only the best snowberries ever! Come on, Marco! You know the snowberries are only ripe during snowstorms! I want to at least taste one before I die!" Marco looked around them.

"Seeing this blizzard, it's very probable that you will! And you're gonna take me to the grave along with you! I don't see any plantation around, though! Are you sure that we're going the right way?!"

"Hell yeah, I am! We were supposed to head north, and the compass shows we're going north! I have a map, and by the looks of it, we're getting closer with each and every step!" Thatch said, full of confidence.

"Marco, how can you not trust in my ability to get us there safely?!" Marco rolled his eyes. He sped up to catch up to his brother, who was already quite a ways ahead of him.

"Thatch, this is a bad idea! Why don't we just go back to the village?! We can come back and satisfy your craving for frostberries some other time, when the blizzard isn't this strong!" Thatch bit his lip. The wind had been getting stronger for some time now, and the snow pelting their faces had suddenly become more plentiful. He was, in fact, more than a little worried about his and Marco's safety, but his stubbornness and determination kept him from going back home empty-handed.

"Nonsense, Marco! Look, see those bushes over there?!" Thatch pointed to a speck of red in the distance. "Those are frostberry bushes! We can't stop now, I promised Haruta I'd make her an frostberry milkshake when we get back. Wouldn't want to disappoint the kid, would you?!" He shouted over the wind. Marco didn't answer. When Thatch turned to look at him, he noticed his brother looking at something far off in the distance. He frowned.

"Is that-?" He started, but Marco grabbed his arm and began pulling him to a rock that protruded slightly from the steep mountain as fast as he could.

"It's an avalanche!" Thatch looked up once again, only to see the wave of snow coming down on the both of them. All of a sudden, he felt someone push him as hard as he could under the rock. Thatch landed hard on the ice, and looked back to his brother. Marco had a relieved look on his face, and Thatch couldn't fathom why.

"Marco, what are you doing?! Get ove-" He cut himself off the moment he saw the snow crash into his brother, dragging him along with it towards the foot of the mountain. His eyes widened in horror.

"Marco!" He shouted desperately, before a curtain of snow came over the rock and blocked the outside world from his view.

Thatch didn't know how long he sat there. With each passing moment, he was more and more sure that Marco couldn't have survived such a fall. He could have hit his head on a rock. He could be lying somewhere underneath a giant pile of snow, losing oxygen by the minute. He could be freezing as Thatch thought about it.

His big brother had saved him. Thatch grit his teeth, trying to keep the tears from falling. It was his fault Marco was most likely dead somewhere. It was his. Damn. Fault! He was the one who wanted to go climbing a mountain during a snowstorm. Now that he thought about it, it was a miracle they had even managed to make it this far.

His brother had used the small amount of time he had left to get him to safety. It was only thanks to him Thatch was alive. But for how long? He kept staring at the waterfall of snow cascading over the rock.

The moment the avalanche had passed Thatch was out from under the rock and into the blizzard once again. He made his way down the mountain as fast as he could without killing himself. He shouted Marco's name until his voice was hoarse and his throat hurt like hell. The moment his eyes fell on the village he lived in, he broke into a run and made his way straight to the local self-proclaimed law enforcers.

Thatch practically flew into the building, and ran straight to the Chief's office.

"Oyaji, you've got to help me! There was an avalancheandithitMarcoandIlookedforhimbutIcan'tfindhimandohmyGodwhatdoIdoit'sallmyfault!" Thatch spoke, trying to get everything out at once, but seeing the confused and slightly bewildered look on his father's face he forced himself to slow down.

"There was an avalanche," he started, "It hit Marco. I looked for him, but I couldn't find him! What if he's dead?! It's all my fault! What should I do?!" The big man with a giant mustache whom he'd called Oyaji stood up the moment he heard that one of his sons might quite possibly be dead. He patted Thatch on the head and rushed to the main part of the building, where the other men currently were. He cleared his throat and raised his voice.

"My sons, there's been a tragedy. One of your brothers is in trouble." He nudged Thatch, who had walked with him to this room. The redhead started explaining what had happened as fast as he could, knowing that they were short on time.

"I want you two-" Oyaji, or Whitebeard, as he was called by some, pointed to two men on his left, "to go and find some villagers willing to help us find Marco. We have to make good use of whatever time we have. The rest of you, get your gear. We're going up the mountain to look for Marco. I want to make good use of the daylight. When it starts to get dark, I want every single one of you back in the village. Nobody else is going to get hurt." Whitebeard turned to face Thatch. "Thatch, go and get some rest. You look like you've been fed to a paper shredder. Twice."

Indeed, Thatch's teeth were chattering. He was all wet, as the snow that had been covering his clothes had melted the moment he had stepped into the heated building, and his hair was disheveled.

"If you don't find Marco today, than we'll look for him again tomorrow!"

All around, people hung their heads.

Everyone knew that the chances of finding Marco alive were slim.

Very slim.


	2. But He Was Saved

_**Yo! I would like to express my endless gratitude to people who reviewed, favorited, or followed the story. I love you guys! TAT**_

_**Special thanks to MyLadyDay, who took the time to advertise my good-for-nothing story on Tumblr. Thank you! QAQ**_

_**I wanted to post this some other time, but taking into account the fact that it's Valentine's Day, and all...**_

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><p>Marco remembered opening his eyes a few times. He remembered the short glimpses he got of his surroundings before he faded away again. He recalled someone feeding him, forcing him to drink. He knew he was in some sort of cave. But where? Was he still in the mountains somewhere? There was no sign of snow, but once or twice he was pretty sure he felt freezing cold air come into the enclosed space, though that wasn't saying much seeing as it was winter.<p>

When Marco finally came to his senses, he was more than sure that a few days had passed. He tried to lift his arm, only to find that he could barely twitch his fingers. Trying his best not to panic, he carefully assessed his surroundings.

He was right before. He most certainly was in a cave. It looked quite spacious, too, far bigger than he had originally though it to be. He seemed to be lying by the wall on a heap of dried grass, if the smell was anything to go by, covered by a thick dark red blanket. Mustering up whatever little strength he had, Marco turned his head to the right.

His eyes took in the sight of the ring of small stones, surrounding a slight indentation in the rock. Inside the circle, he could see ashes of many burnt-out fires. Farther down there was an opening in the cave wall which looked like it might be some kind of corridor leading further into the cave.

Marco let his eyes roam the room once again, before snapping them back to the opening the moment he heard footsteps coming his way.

The man who entered was... most definitely odd. He wore an orange cowboy hat with two faces, one smiling and the other frowning, located right over the brim, and unbuttoned yellow shirt, black cargo pants, and boots. He also seemed to have numerous accessories, like the orange thing covering the elbow of his right arm, a red and white striped bracelet, and some weird contraption that consisted of an orb with a needle inside, placed in another bracelet. He had chin-length wavy black hair, and dark gray eyes. A closer look at his face revealed an abundance of freckles dotting his cheeks in a way that seemed almost artistic to Marco.

The moment their eyes met, a wide grin spread across the stranger's face, and his eyes lit up.

"You're awake!" He exclaimed. "How do you feel?" Marco blinked a few times as his muddled mind made sense of what was being said to him.

"Alright, I guess," he croaked. "Where am I?"

The man came closer. Though, now that Marco got a closer look at him, he looked to be no older than 18.

"In my house. Well, if you can call it that. It's a cave situated more or less in the middle of the mountain." Marco frowned. Just why did this man, no, this boy, live so far away from society? He watched as the man put down firewood Marco hadn't noticed he was carrying, and started to arrange each branch in a cone-like figure inside the stone circle.

"Do you know what happened to me?" He inquired carefully. The stranger shrugged his shoulders. It was only then that Marco became aware of the tattoo on his arm.

"Ace?" The stranger spun around to face him once again, a look of slight confusion on his face. Marco nodded towards the tattoo, and watched the confused expression change into one of realization.

"Yeah. And you are?" He asked.

"My name's Marco. So... how did I get here?" He asked, curious.

"Found you half-dead after the avalanche passed. It brings cool stuff from up the mountain sometimes, but I never expected it to bring down a half-dead _human_." The way he said human slightly unnerved Marco.

"What do you mean by half-dead?" He asked. _Ace _placed the last piece of wood in the middle of the structure before he answered.

"Big gash on forehead. Giant fever. Twisted ankle. Frostbite. Possibly broken ribs?" Marco's eyebrows furrowed.

"Then why don't I feel any pain?" He demanded. Ace sighed and rubbed his temples.

"I gave you herbs for the pain. And the fever. And I managed to stitch up that big red line above your left eye." Ace mimed the cut, sliding the index finger of his left hand along his own forehead. Once again, he turned away to face the heap of wood. He reached out his hand and gripped the only branch that stuck straight up. Marco raised an eyebrow, wondering what he could possibly be doing, when the stranger's hand suddenly caught fire. Marco yelped, and his eyes went wide with fear. That was the moment everything clicked into place.

"Y-you're a witch!" He shouted loudly. As Ace turned to face him once again, Marco looked away, trying to find some way to get out of the room, temporarily forgetting about his injuries.

"Yeah. That, I am," came the reply. He fought the urge to flinch when Ace moved closer to the makeshift bed Marco was lying on. Hesitantly, Marco lifted his blue eyes up to meet the boy's gray ones. Although they were mostly shadowed by his bangs, he could still make out a slight hardness to them.

"Is that a problem?" Ace asked. Marco mutely shook his head, eyes still darting around the cave for a means of escape.

"You don't have to be scared of me, you know." Ace's voice was low and barely audible, even in the silent cave. Marco's heart was beating a mile a minute, and the adrenaline that coursed through his veins had erased any previous disorientation from his mind.

"Not scared of you?! You're a witch! You've signed a contract with the _devil_!" Marco shouted. Ace chuckled darkly.

"Is that what they say about us these days?" He turned away to face the fire again. "Just go back to sleep for now. You need rest if you want your wounds to heal. If you feel better by... well, when you can walk again, you can go back down the mountain to wherever you came from." Marco seriously doubted he would be able to fall asleep again for quite a while, but didn't voice his thoughts. "I promise I won't hurt you," Ace said in a quiet voice.

Marco didn't know how long they stayed like that, with him lying in the makeshift bed and observing Ace, and the latter sitting before the fire, but eventually, his eyes grew droopy, and he couldn't help but to succumb to his exhaustion.

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><p>When Marco opened his eyes again, Ace was nowhere to be seen and the fire had long since gone out. He tried not to panic. He really did. But being within such close proximity of a witch of all things?! Any normal man would freak out. Should Marco have been able to, he would have killed the other as soon as he found out about his powers. Sure, a part of him would have felt guilty, slaying the one who saved his life, but in the end, it was all for the greater good, was it not?<p>

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><p>As the days went on, Marco reluctantly became accustomed to the idea of living underneath the same roof as a witch. When Ace appeared, he always had a smile on his face. He would talk about whatever was on his mind, and Marco would just keep staring at him. Well, until one day.<p>

"Lots of people are born with powers, you know. Most of them never awaken them, though." This caught Marco's attention, and, for the first time in days, he spoke.

"You mean I might know people who could be witches, and they don't even know it themselves?" Ace looked surprised when he voiced his question, but a smile slid into place on his face.

"Sure. All the nonsense humans made up about witches, the contracts with devils and such, it's all a myth. Even you could have powers and not know about them." Marco's face showed disgust and his eyes turned cold.

"Never. I would never be like you." Ace hummed.

"But what if you are, though? What if you did have powers? What would you do then? You sure as hell wouldn't be able to stay around humans. They'd shun you away, burn you at the stake, torture you until you wished you were dead..." He trailed off. Marco's eyes took on a slightly sympathetic.

"Is that what happened to you?" He asked quietly, not certain whether or not he wanted to hear the answer. Ace stayed silent, a darkness entering his eyes, before he changed the topic, and forced a smile.

"Do you know how powers are revealed? It's usually a traumatic experience. Although, a witch can... unlock... a person's powers with their consent. It rarely works though, and only experienced witches are able to do it to people they share close bonds with. That is, of course, if they _do _have hidden powers in the first place."

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><p>Marco never broached the subject again. He found his daily talks with Ace somewhat interesting, and, though he was reluctant to admit it, he was starting to like the boy, even if he was still wary of him.<p>

He learned a lot of things during his time spent with the witch, some of which Ace probably shouldn't have said if he cared at all for his own well-being. Supposedly, the only thing that could completely cancel out powers was something called seastone. Since Marco had never heard of it, it must have been pretty rare.

Ace had narcolepsy. Marco learned that the hard way. One day, during one of their talks, Ace suddenly fell backwards, straight into the fire behind him. Marco was about to get up, disregarding his injuries, but didn't when he heard the witch snoring and saw that the flames weren't hurting him. When he had woken up, Ace had explained everything that had happened to him and apologized for the scare.

Once, when Marco asked him why he never wore a coat, Ace had told him that he no longer felt temperatures, thanks to his powers. Marco raised his eyebrows at that. It was no wonder he could live in a cave up on the mountain during winter and not freeze to death. It turned out Ace had been keeping the fire going only for Marco's benefit.

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><p>"You have <em>how <em>many brothers?!" Ace shouted with a shocked expression on his face.

"Thirteen brothers and one sister," Marco replied easily, snickering at the bewildered look on the other's face.

"You've got to be kidding me..." Ace whispered. Marco shook his head and grinned.

"We're adopted, though. Our father's name is Edward Newgate, but most people call him Whitebeard. Funny thing is, he has a mustache, not a beard..." Marco trailed off, and the grin slid off his face.

"You alright?" Ace asked him. Marco swallowed.

"Yeah... It's just that... they all probably think that I'm dead.." They sat in silence for a while.

"Imagine how happy they'll all be to find out that you're alive, then." Marco's lips twitched.

"Yeah... It's definitely something to look forward to. Ace..." Marco started.

"Hmm?"

"Do you have any family?" Marco could have sword he saw anger flash in Ace's eyes before it disappeared.

"Yeah. I have... had two bothers. Luffy and Sabo," Ace said quietly.

"Had?" Marco inquired. Ace bit his lip.

"Sabo died when I was 10. And I have no idea whether or not Luffy's still alive." Marco frowned.

"Sorry." Ace shook his head.

"It's okay."

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><p>Roughly a month later, Ace deemed Marco healthy enough to try to walk on his own.<p>

His now-friend helped him up, and released his arm as soon as he was steady on his feet. Marco took one step, and had to catch Ace's hand to keep from cashing to the rock floor. Eventually, though, after the first few steps, he seemed to regain his sense of balance and managed to walk around the small room all by himself. He looked up to see a slightly forced smile on Ace's face.

"I... I guess you're going home now that you can walk, huh?" The witch asked. Marco frowned. During the time he had been here, he had grown attached to the boy. He hadn't thought it possible, but... the witch had a charismatic air about him... and an interesting personality Marco couldn't help but be attracted to.

"Can't you come with me?" He asked. Ace shook his head, hair whipping around as he looked down at his own feet.

"Trust me. I'm better off here."

_**I do trust you**_, Marco realized. He frowned. Ace would be all alone again. For how long had he not spoken to another person before Marco came along? Seven years? Marco's heart clenched at the thought of leaving the boy all alone again. Even though he had only known the other for a month, they had developed a bond. He was certain that Ace trusted him just as much as he trusted Ace. Which, considering how their relationship had started off, was a lot.

Over the course of time, he had come to learn that witches weren't that bad. They felt pain, anger, joy, sorrow. The first one he had found out when Ace had accidentally cut his hand open with a seastone knife. Red fluid had splattered down to the floor, and Ace had hissed in pain. When Marco had asked why he had the weapon, Ace had explained that he needed some sort of protection from the other witches, who apparently had no qualm about hurting others of their kind. He had watched as Ace walked to the other room and came back with a sheet up moss pressed against the wound on the palm of his hand.

Witches were a lot like humans in many aspects.

"In that case, I promise I'll come visit you," Marco decided. "After all, I have to repay you for your help somehow, right? I wasn't exactly kind to you for the first week and a half or so." At this Ace cracked a smile.

"You promise?" He asked.

"I promise." A wide grin replaced the small smile.

"It's a deal, then!" Marco returned the smile with a sincere one of his own. Ace told Marco to follow him as he walked through the corridor.

It was the first time Marco had come through here. The hallway had openings that led to even more rooms Marco had never seen before: a library, a kitchen, etc...

"Did you make all of this yourself?" He asked Ace, amazed.

"Nahh. This used to be a summer island, you know. And these are old lava tunnels. All I had to do was... fix them up a little," the witch explained.

They walked on, and eventually they came to a dead-end. Marco scrunched his eyebrows, when Ace walked up to the rock at the end of the tunnel and pulled on a barely visible rope. The 'wall' traveled upwards, and for the first time in a month, Marco was met with daylight. Not the fire that gave off light in this secluded cave, but real sunlight. He ran outside. Ace walked out behind him after tying the end of the rope around a metal ring attached to the opposite 'wall' inside so that the rock didn't shut him out from the cave. He lifted his arm and pointed straight ahead.

"If you keep walking in the direction of the setting sun, you're bound to reach the village by nightfall." Marco turned around in his direction, wanting to once again thank Ace for saving his life, but Ace said it before him.

"Thanks you." Marco tilted his head to the side slightly.

"What for?" He asked, disoriented.

"For not shunning me away. For not calling me a monster. For being my friend, someone I can trust, even if it was for only a short while. Really, it meant a lot to me." _**Meant**_**? **"Goodbye, Marco," he said, and, not giving Marco a chance to answer him, practically ran back to the cave, letting the rock fall behind him, sealing him off from the outside world. From Marco

Marco just stared after him, dumbstruck.

"W-wait..." he whispered into the nothingness. He stayed in place, staring at where Ace had disappeared for a few seconds. Eventually, he sighed, turned around, and began walking in the direction Ace had pointed in. No matter what, he would keep his promise and come visit Ace again soon. _Nothing _would stop him.

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><p>Ace slid down to the ground and hid his face in his hands. Deep down inside, he knew that he would probably never see Marco again. It was probably for the better, too. Marco's sudden appearance back at his village was bound to raise questions. He had been gone for a month, and now he appeared out of nowhere...<p>

Marco wouldn't tell them about a witch saving him, would he?

Ace sighed, thinking about the trouble he might have gotten himself into.

But in the end, it was worth it, right?

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><p><em><strong>Shitty story is shitty. Sorry about that. I have a bad habit of rushing things...<strong>_

_**So, how about a review? *wiggles eyebrows***_


	3. People Caused Problems

**_Yo! *casually pole-vaults over the fact that she hasn't updated in over three months* I'm writing this in the middle of the night (at least the second half), so there might be a few (read: a lot) of errors. I hope it's readable, though. I tried my best! (Okay, that last part might be somewhat of a lie. But try, I did.)_**

**_I'm sorry for not answering all of the reviews, I just forgot to get around to it. I'll try to do better this time (if there are still any readers out there, considering I haven't updated for so long. Don't leave, guys! TAT_**

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><p>Taking a deep breath, Marco pushed open the gates to the village. Since it was winter, everything was covered in snow. All of the little wooden cabins, the street-lamps, even the main road that lead to the building his father and most of his brothers worked in. He looked around to see if anyone was around.<p>

Not a soul. It was very late, and most people were asleep. Marco sighed in relief. He turned around and closed the gates behind him, before starting to walk in the way of the law enforcement building, which people called the LE for short. He thought about stopping by at his house, but decided to go see his father first.

Standing before the door to the giant building, Marco took a deep breath and pushed it open. The effect was instantaneous. Izo, who was standing in the middle of the lobby talking to some of their brothers, dropped his cup of coffee. It immediately shattered upon hitting the floor, spilling the scalding hot liquid all over the wooden boards. Marco was pretty sure he heard some pens fall as well. _Everyone's _jaws dropped.

"M-Marco," Izo stammered. "Y-you're alive!" Within seconds he was swarmed by all the people currently in the lobby. They were all laughing and cheering. A few even had tears trailing down their faces. He saw Thatch push his way to the front of the crowd.

"M-Marco, b-buddy... I thought you were dead!" His brother wailed, throwing himself at the blond. Marco awkwardly patted his back.

"I-I though you were dead and it was my fault. I'm sorry! I'm so so sorry! If only you hadn't gone with me up the mountain that day! Please forgive me!" Marco laughed.

"It's alright, Thatch. I'm alive. But I'm never going that far into the mountains on a day with such bad weather ever again." Everyone turned their heads when they heard a door slam open.

"What's going on?" a giant of a man who had walked out of his office asked. People stepped away to make room, leaving Marco standing in the middle of the lobby in front of their father.

"Umm... hello Oyaji?" Whitebeard's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Marco..." the giant man whispered. He quickly made his way to his son and wrapped his arms around him. Marco happily returned the embrace.

"You're alive. Oh thank God you're alive..."

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><p>Marco was leaning against the wall in his father's office. Whitebeard himself was sitting in a chair behind his desk.<p>

"How did you survive the avalanche?" He asked. Marco sighed. It had to come to this. The question was, how much could he tell his father?

"I... It's kind of... complicated," he began after a few moments of silence. His father raised his eyebrow.

"I've got all day." Marco chewed on his bottom lip. And then the story came out. He told his father everything that had occurred within the last month, how Ace had saved him and tended to his injuries... Okay, so maybe he omitted a _few _details.

"And who exactly is this... Ace?" Marco took a deep breath. In the end, he did have to say it, didn't he? This man was, after all, his father. Who else could he trust if not him?

"He... well, he's a... witch," the blonde whispered, biting his lip. Whitebeard furrowed his eyebrows.

"...Can you repeat that?" Marco swallowed audibly.

"He's a witch." Silence. Whitebeard closed his eyes, and Marco saw his body shake with fury.

"A witch? A _witch _helped you?!" He demanded, eyes shooting open. Marco nodded, carefully watching his father.

"What were you thinking, son?! You're lucky you got out of there alive! _Where _is that monster?!" Whitebeard demanded.

"He's not a monster, Oyaji! He's human, just like the rest of us! You don't know him! He's a good person!" the blond shouted, enraged by the fact that his father, the one man he trusted above all others, had said something like that.

"No witch is a good person, Marco! Sooner or later, they all show their true colors, you just wait!" Marco kept quiet.

"I see reasoning won't do any good. You've been brainwashed, Marco. _Remember _what you were _taught_!"

"That's not Ace!" Marco countered. "He would never do something like that! Please, Oyaji! Just leave him alone! He's not harming anyone!" His father was silent for a few moments. He put his hands to his forehead.

"Fine... but first sign of trouble, and he'll be burned at the stake." Marco made to argue. "No! He's a witch Marco. There _will__ be _no mercy for witches." Marco grit his teeth and stayed silent.

"I thought you were a better man," he hissed. "How can you just judge a _person _like that?!" Marco turned around and promptly left the office. He grabbed his coat from a nearby hangar and walked outside without putting it on. He leaned on the door behind him and closed his eyes, feeling the cold wind caress his skin and calm him down. He pushed himself off the door and walked to where he his house was.

The building was just as he had left it, even the key was still above the door behind a loose board. He turned it in the lock and pushed. The door opened with an audible click. Marco stepped inside his house for the first time in ages. He swept his eyes over the small living room, taking in the dust that had gathered during his absence. He sighed at the thought of all of the cleaning he would have to do.

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><p>Roughly half an hour later, Thatch and Izo came by his house. They were both smiling widely, and Marco could have sworn that Thatch had tears in his eyes. Right now, they were sitting at the table in his house and talking.<p>

"I still can't believe that you're alive! I mean, I saw that snow hit you, and then nothing! How? And where have you been these past few weeks?" Thatch inquired. Marco bit his lip, deciding on a story to tell his brothers.

"There was this guy who found me and... cared for me for a while? I would've come back sooner, but I couldn't because of my injuries." Both of his siblings nodded, Thatch looking lost in thought, and Izo with a calculating look on his face.

"And this guy just happened to be out during a snowstorm?" Izo asked, raising one well-defined eyebrow.

"Uhh... yeah?" Marco answered.

"Are you asking me or telling me?" Marco sighed. Thatch watched the exchange between his brothers with a cautious gaze.

"I don't want to lie to you. I'll tell you sometime, alright? Just drop it for now." Marco looked at his guests with a pleading gaze. Izo pursed his lips.

"Should we be worried?" Marco smiled at his brother's concern.

"No. Everything's fine. But thanks." They were all silent for a while, each man lost in thoughts.

"Oh, and before I forget to ask. Why is my stuff still here? I would have thought you'd have moved it out somewhere by now." This time, it was Thatch's turn to smile.

"We didn't have the heart to move it. We kept putting it off, saying that we'd get rid of it when your body would be found. And, well, I guess it turned out for the best, didn't it? At least you have somewhere to sleep now that you're 100% alive and back."

They all burst into laughter.

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><p>The next few days whizzed by quickly. Marco was visited by his friends and family practically every single day. And then, after a week, when he finally had some time to himself, he decided that he would go visit Ace. He put on some warmer clothes and his boots, and left the house.<p>

Marco took his time walking through the village. The sun was up, children were playing with snow on the cobblestone streets. He looked at the window displays of different shops.

It was then that he noticed he was being followed. Reflecting in the glass, he kept seeing a figure dressed in white, most likely wanting to make it harder to spot him or herself. As soon as he rounded the corner, Marco ran into a nearby alley and waited. In a few seconds, the person whose reflection he had seen in the glass walked past, looking around, probably trying to catch sight of him.

It was Thatch.

His own brother was following him. After a moment of deliberation, Marco walked out of the alley and called out to the redhead.

"Looking for someone?!" Thatch whipped around, eyes widening as he saw the blond leaning against a wall, looking at him with disapproval, with a hint of suspicion mixed in . He reached up to scratch the back of his neck.

"Uhh, yeah. Izo's birthday is coming up, so I though I would get him something. I was going to the store over there." He pointed to the right.

They both knew it was a lie. Izo's birthday was three months ago. Marco's disapproving stare quickly turned cold.

"It was Oyaji, wasn't it. Did he put you up to this?"

"Up to what?" Thatch asked, trying to play dumb. Marco sighed.

"You know what, never mind. Don't tell me. I'll go see him myself later." Marco pushed off the wall he was leaning against and walked right past his brother.

"Marco, wait!" Thatch called after him. The blond didn't slow down. "I'm sorry, okay? He's just worried about you." Marco paid his brother no attention, opting to just walk away.

unfortunately, that wasn't the end of his troubles. When he tried to walk out the gate leading out of the village, he was stopped by two guards.

"I'm sorry Marco, but we have our orders. We can't let anyone go past." Said blond sighed in exasperation.

"Are you fucking _kidding _me? What about the people you let past a few minutes ago?!" Marco all but shouted. The guards exchanged wary glances.

"What people? We haven't let anyone past in days." Marco pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stay calm. But then again, how could he, when everyone he knew was _lying _to him? His own _family_. Not saying goodbye, he turned on his heel and made a beeline towards the LE.

* * *

><p>"Oyaji, what's going on?" Marco demanded as soon as he opened the door to his father's office.<p>

The man glanced at him for a second, before going back to the paperwork he was doing. Just as Marco was about to ask again, his father put down the pen and took off his glasses. He looked at Marco pointedly. The blond was hit with a sudden bout of realization.

"...It's about Ace, isn't it," he said more than asked.

"Yes, it's the witch, Marco. I had a feeling you would try to go see him."

"So that's why people have been visiting me every single day this past week? And why Thatch was following me? And the guards won't let me through? Because I want to see the man who _saved _my _life_?" The blond inquired. Whitebeard sighed.

"I know you don't believe this, Marco, but I'm doing this for your own good. You don't know what those things are _capable _of. He'd kill you the moment he _saw _you!"

"Ace isn't like that! I told you already. He's _different_..."

"I don't want to argue, son, so-" Marco cut him off.

"I know you think you're doing good, but you're not. Please, Oyaji, let me go see him. At least one more time." He was ready to beg if that was what it took. Whitebeard closed his eyes and pinched his lips.

"You know I can't do that."

"You know as well as I do that you can. You just don't want to. At least call off the hunts." Whitebeard's eyes snapped open.

"How do you-" Marco cut him off again.

"Did you think that I wouldn't notice? I hear things, Oyaji. I'm not blind, either. I saw people leaving the village before. They had weapons and torches. I overheard a child singing about witches being burned alive at the stake! A child! Why would they all be doing things like that if nothing was going on?!" Marco shouted in exasperation.

"You weren't supposed to find out like this." Whitebeard replied.

"Please, Oyaji. It's the one thing I ask of you. Leave him alone. _Please_. I'll do _anything_. I won't leave the village. I won't even leave my _house_, if that's what you want. Just leave him alone. He doesn't deserve this..." Marco's voice faded into a whisper as he gazed up at his father with pleading eyes. Whitebeard closed his eyes again. After a few minutes, he reached out his hand and grabbed the phone receiver. He dialled a number. In the silence fell, Marco could easily hear the other person answer.

_**"Oyaji?"**_

"Call off the search."

_**"What? Why?"**_

"Please just do as I ask. Come back to the village, and be careful. I can't have more of my children getting hurt." He looked pointedly at Marco. The blond opted to keep quiet. He heard the man on the other end of the phone say something in a much quieter tone, most likely to his companions, before he spoke to Whitebeard again.

_**"What changed?" **_he asked. Whitebeard sighed.

"Marco did." Silence fell at the other end of the line.

_**"I guess well talk when we get back, huh? See you then, Oyaji. And say hi to Marco from me." **_With that, they hung up. Oyaji put the receiver down and looked at Marco again.

"You won't be leaving the village alone again. Other than that, you're free to do as you wish." With that he picked his pen up again, put his glasses on, and went back to doing the paperwork he had been doing upon Marco's arrival.

The blond felt every last iota of tension leave his body. He walked over to the door and opened it. He paused in the doorway.

"Thank you, Oyaji."

"I know I already said this before, but I'll say it again. The moment anything happens, the abomination _will _be caught and killed. You won't have _any _say in it." Whitebeard replied.

"That's alright. I know Ace won't do anything to hurt anyone." That said, he walked out and closed the door to his father's office behind him.

Marco didn't think he would ever stop regretting the fact that, because of his actions, he would most likely never see the witch who had saved his life again.

But in the end, he knew he had made the right decision.

Ace had saved him, and now, it was time to return the favor.

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><p><em><strong>...If anyone's still out there, would they mind leaving a review?<strong>_


	4. But That Didn't Matter

_**Yo! So... how have you guys been. As you can all see, I've finally updated this story...ehehe... It would have been a bit faster, but then MarcoAce week came up, and I had to write stuff for that so... yeah...*starts making excuses***_

_**Thank you to lunarshores for beta-ing!**_

* * *

><p>Ace turned to the next page of the book he was reading and sighed. It had been weeks. <em>Weeks <em>since Marco had left, and he still hadn't heard a word from the man. All in all, it was kind of depressing. For the first time in years, he'd had company. A real, live physical being he could talk to and who would talk back. _So_ unlike all of the books he had managed to steal from various people over the years. Now, though, that person was gone. And contrary to his promises, he would likely never be coming back.

* * *

><p>"See you later, mom!" Ace yelled, running out of the house after his brother and slamming the front door shut behind him. He let his legs take him into the crowded streets. It was a week till Christmas, and people were doing what little shopping they could. Windmill Village wasn't very big, so there were only so many things you could buy. All of a sudden, the small boy he'd been following stopped in front of one of the displays. Ace slowed down and walked over to him, curious about whatever his brother was looking at with such growing fascination in his eyes.<p>

"What did you find, Luffy?" The 7-year-old turned his head to look at his older brother for a second, before turning back to the display and pressing a finger to the glass in an attempt to point in the direction of the object of interest. Ace cocked his head.

"A hat?" Luffy pouted.

"It's not just 'a hat' Ace! It's the best hat! Well, Shanks' hat is the best, so that would make this one second best. But look! Look! It looks exactly like Shanks' hat! Isn't it awesome?!" Looking at the expression on his brother's face, Ace shook his head and smiled.

"Yeah. I guess it is." He knew what he would be buying Luffy for Christmas. He once again turned his head to look at the hat on display.

It was nothing fancy. An old, slightly worn straw hat with a red ribbon wrapped around it. But he couldn't see why Luffy took such a liking to it. It really did look like a replica of their idol's hat. Well, more Luffy's idol than his, but all the same, he was a person they both could rely on.

Ace wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulders and attempted to pull him away from the display.

"Come on, Sabo's waiting for us." Luffy turned to look at him again, eyes almost watering at the thought of leaving the hat behind. Ace groaned.

"Wait here for a moment." The bell over the door rang as Ace entered the store. He walked up to the shopkeeper, digging through his pockets.

"Can I help you?" The man behind the counter asked. Ace bit his lip. He likely didn't have enough money with him at the moment, but it was worth a try.

"How much for that straw hat?" Imitating his brother, he pointed his finger in the direction of the headpiece. He could see his brother standing outside the store, gazing at the hat with such longing, Ace was almost jealous of it.

"That old piece? Five bucks." Ace dug around in his pockets, trying to find some more money.

"Umm... Four fifty?" he tried to bargain uncertainly. He spared a glance in his brother's direction, to make sure that he was still there. The shopkeeper followed his gaze, a soft smile spreading across his face as he saw the little boy standing in front of his shop.

"Is it a present for your little brother?" Mutely, Ace nodded. The shopkeeper sighed. "Then four fifty it is." A grin lit up Ace's face. He watched as the older man walked over to the display and got the hat, while he took every last penny out of his pocket and put it on the counter. The man came back.

"Do you want me to pack it?" Ace shook his head.

"No, thanks." He took the straw hat from the shopkeeper's hands and almost ran in the direction of the door. "Bye!" The bell rang again as the door was opened.

Grin still plastered to his face, Ace walked up to his brother, hat in tow. He reached out, putting the headpiece on the little boy's head.

"Merry early Christmas, Lu." His brother wrapped his arms around him in a death grip.

"Thank you thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"Come on, let's go to meet up with Sabo now." Luffy retracted his arms and ran off again, one hand holding the straw hat in place on his head, the other waving at Ace to come follow him. Once again, Ace shook his head and started running after his brother.

* * *

><p>"Let him go, damn it!" Ace shouted at the man holding Luffy in front of him, painfully twisting the young boy's arm behind his back.<p>

"What a foul mouth you have. Didn't your momma tell you to always clean your mouth with soap when you say a bad word?" the man taunted. Ace saw red when he pulled Luffy's hand up even farther and his brother let out a cry of pain. Ace spared a glance at Sabo.

They had been ambushed by a few members of the local gang while on their way to go play in the mountains. Now, both of his brothers were being held captive by some had a knife put to his throat, which was being pressed harder and harder to his skin with each passing second. Ace might have imagined it, but the blade seemed to have drawn some blood. Sabo, meanwhile, had a gun pointed to his head, cold metal caressing blond locks. Ace was standing across from them, metal pipe in hand. He had no idea what to do.

"Come with us, brat, and we'll let these two go." Ace glared at them, fist clenching around the metal in his hand. He had no idea what they wanted to do with him. He had no idea why it had to be_ him_. But if it meant keeping his brothers safe, he would go with them. His hand loosened around the pipe.

"Promise me," he demanded. The criminal looked at him disoriented.

"Huh?" Ace's glare turned darker.

"Promise me you'll let my brothers go, and I'll come with you," he clarified. The man holding Luffy looked at him, obviously amused.

"Ya got yourself a deal, kid. Now put down that pipe and come over here." Slowly, Ace did what he was told. His heart was pounding, threatening to burst from his chest. He kicked the pipe away and took a step toward the man, who meanwhile handed Luffy over to one of his friends. Ace stood in front of him, not daring to take his eyes off the criminal for even a second.

"Let them go now," he whispered. The man grabbed his arm and pulled the young boy towards him. Ace tried not to flinch in disgust as he was assaulted by the smell of alcohol and cheap cigarettes. The man turned his head and nodded to the person holding Sabo. The blond was released. He staggered forward.

"Sorry, kid. Never trust the world of a criminal. We were told that there can't be any witnesses."

A shot was fired. Ace watched in growing horror as his brother collapsed. The snow near him started losing its pure white color and started slowly turning ruby red. Sabo wasn't moving.

"_No!_" Ace screamed. He saw someone else move from the corner of his eye. The man holding Luffy had taken out his own knife. His brother was looking at Sabo lying motionless on the ground, not having noticed the blade coming closer and closer to his neck with each passing second. Ace watched with growing terror, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

There was an explosion. All of a sudden, everything turned various shades of red and orange and yellow. When the man holding his brother fell backwards, screams of agony tearing from his throat, Ace launched himself towards Luffy. He looked him over for any sign of harm. When none were found, he hugged him tightly. He felt his shit get wet as Luffy started crying.

"S-Sabo… he…" Ace didn't speak, and instead tried to hold down the sobs that were trying to tear apart his chest. He looked around.

They were both surrounded by flames that were climbing higher and higher into the sky as they stood there. There was no way out.

"A-Ace! You're shoulder's on fire!" Ace let Luffy go and turned his head. His brother was right. His shoulder _was_ on fire. But Ace didn't feel anything. Not the heat radiating from the flames, not the pain that should have accompanied them. Still, he wished they weren't there, just in case they burned Luffy.

And just like that, they all disappeared. Ace looked around for the thugs, ignoring the warmth that was starting to fill him from the inside. Two of the three men were lying on the ground, and the third one was limping away as fast as he could, leaving his comrades behind. Ace's eyes stopped roving when they landed Sabo. Not sparing the fleeing criminal another glance, the 10-year-old rushed towards him. He turned his brother around so that he was lying on his back in the pool of blood underneath him instead of face down.

There was a bullet hole in his head.

Ace lifted one shaking hand to his mouth. He could hear Luffy crying silently behind him. He got up and hugged his brother again, blocking his view of Sabo. Or rather Sabo's body. There were shouts coming from behind them. Ace didn't bother turning around to see what was happening, too immersed in grief. His own tears were quickly rolling down his cheeks, and making tiny craters where they fell in the snow.

He didn't remember much of what happened after that.

He knew that when they both finally got home, their mother enveloped them in her warm embrace. He knew that she stayed with them for hours, trying to comfort them. He knew he eventually fell asleep sometime during the early hours of the morning, when his exhaustion and the emotional pain simply became too much.

He had nightmares.

* * *

><p>About two weeks had passed since Sabo's death, and a mere week since his funeral. Ace couldn't help the ever-present feeling of guilt that was slowly beginning to overwhelm him.<p>

For some reason, those men had wanted to hurt him. His brothers had been _collateral damage_.

But why? _What did he ever do to anyone?_

* * *

><p>They came in the middle of the night. Ace was startled awake when someone started banging on the door. He quickly got out of his bed, and walked over to the open door. Hesitantly, he peeked outside.<p>

At the end of the hallway was a staircase. His mother was already at the bottom, dressed only in her nightgown. He heard quiet footsteps coming up beside him. Ace turned to his younger brother, who was drowsily rubbing one of his eyes, and put a finger to his lips. Luffy tilted his head to the side, but didn't say anything. Ace looked out the door once more.

By now, Rouge had walked over to the front door. She unlocked it and looked outside. From where he was standing, Ace could make out a bright light illuminating her face, making her brown eyes shine.

"Where is he?!" a gruff voice demanded. Ace could have sworn that he knew it from somewhere

"Excuse me?" Rouge inquired, obviously annoyed.

"Where's the witch?!" the man shouted.

"What witch?" Rouge countered coolly, but Ace could see that she visibly tensed at the words. He had told her about his powers the day after Sabo's death. She had told him what he was. It was all about him again.

_Why did everything bad have to happen because of him?_

"Don't play games with me, _woman_! I want your _son_!" He put one of his hands on the door when Rouge tried to close it. He took one step into the house, the dirty, melted snow from his boot leaving a visible stain on the doormat.

"How dare you! You barge into my house, in the middle of the night, and demand my son! Just who do you think you are?!" Rouge shouted, furious. The man paid her no mind and instead pushed her away and took a few more steps into the living room. When Rouge attempted to stop him, he backhanded her. She fell to the ground, hitting her head against the edge of a nearby coffee table. She didn't get up.

"Mom!" Ace shouted terrified. Luffy tried to get past him to see what happened. Ace pushed him back into their shared room.

The man turned to look at him. Ace only now noticed the rough features and the scowl he wore. He had a pitchfork in his hand. _They had to get away._ Ace slammed the door shut and ran over to the window.

It wasn't a far way down. The roof beyond the window sloped downwards, so they could slide down it without much trouble, and after that they would most likely land in a mound of snow.

The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs told him he didn't have much time left to think about this. Ace pulled the window open. The wind hit his face. It wasn't cold, though. Not to him. Not anymore.

"Luffy, get over here!" he called to his brother, who was still standing by the door, eyes wide with fright. Fortunately, he did as he was told. Ace climbed out the window and waited for his brother to follow, before placing him on his lap against his chest and pushing off to slide down the roof. He knew that the shingles sliding against his legs and lower back should have hurt, possibly even caused injury, but he felt nothing except that warmth. The same warmth from back when they'd been attacked.

As they fell from the roof, Ace curled up around his brother, to protect him from any harm in case he'd been wrong and they would end up landing on the hard ground. Fortunately, he wasn't. Both he and Luffy dug their way out of the snow and started running towards the woods behind their house. Ace looked back. The man from before, the one who hurt his mother was standing at the window in his room. And he finally remembered where he knew him from. It was Akainu, one of the wealthiest and power hungry men in the village. Seeing him made Ace's blood boil. He had half a mind to let Luffy run away while he stayed and fought the people off. But there were more of them. At least 15, from what he'd seen. So he couldn't. He didn't stand a chance against so many people, and the thought of leaving Luffy to his own devices made him feel sick.

Luffy wouldn't survive a day on his own.

So the boys raced through the woods, not stopping until they came out on the other side. They made their way straight to Makino's bar. She would be there. She always was.

They didn't bother knocking, instead opting to burst through the door. Luffy was shivering. Ace was pretty sure he'd be sick. Running barefoot through the forest in the middle of the winter in nothing but pajamas tended to do that to people. Well, unless they were Ace.

The barmaid jumped as Ace shut the door behind them. She whirled around to face them, hands on her hips and a scolding look on her face.

"What are you boys doing here? It's the middle of the-" she started, but stopped when she saw their expressions. "Wait here." She walked to one of the back rooms. When the barmaid came back, she brought a thick, warm blanket with her. She told them to sit down at one of the tables and wrapped it around them. Both boys were crying, although Luffy was worse off than Ace. Seeing that the younger boy was in no state to talk, Makino turned to Ace.

"What happened?" the barmaid asked. Ace swallowed the lump in his throat before attempting to speak.

"S-some men c-came to our h-house, an-and they h-hurt m-mom, a-and I h-had no idea what to d-do, so I came here, a-and I think that t-t-they might be after me." He took a few deep breaths to calm himself. Portgas D Ace did _not_ cry. Makino hugged them both. It reminded Ace so much of his mom, that it made him want to cry harder.

"I-I have to get out of here. Mom s-said that if anyone finds out about my p-powers, they'll kill me!" If they did that, Luffy would be left alone. Ace couldn't let that happen. "I'm going to run away, j-just promise me you'll keep Luffy safe. He has nothing to do with this." Ace's voice slowly got steadier after the initial wave of shock had passed. He knew what he had to do.

"What are you going to do?" the barmaid asked, her face full of worry. Ace swallowed audibly.

"I'm going to run away to the mountains," he said turning his head away from Makino. "I'll survive. I don't feel the cold anymore, and I know how to hunt. I'll survive." His voice cracked at the end of the repeated sentence. Luffy finally looked up.

"You're going to leave, Ace? Don't leave me all alone… I don't want to be alone!" Ace couldn't look at his brother.

"You'll still have Makino, right? I'll come back someday. I promise." It was a promise he would most likely break, but the younger boy didn't need to know that. "It's the only way to keep you safe, Luffy. You're going to be okay." Makino let them go and hurried to the back room again, leaving the boys alone. Ace wrapped his arms around the trembling form of his younger brother. "I'm so, so sorry. I love you more than anyone in the world, I can't lose you too," Ace whispered. Luffy hugged him back.

"B-but you'll be alone, Ace. All alone in the mountains. And I'll be all alone here. And being alone hurts so, so much! Can't I go with you?" Ace shook his head.

"You know that's impossible, Lu. You'd freeze to death. Just… just be safe, alright?" Luffy nodded and started crying harder. Ace rubbed soothing circles into his back. "It's going to be okay." He was the older brother. He _had_ to take care of his younger sibling, no matter the pain it caused him. Caused them both.

Because in the end, it would be worth it. Luffy would be safe.

And that's all that mattered.

* * *

><p>When Makino came out in a few minutes, she gave Ace a large backpack.<p>

"It's filled with what you'll need. There're some clothes, a blanket- and I know that you don't feel the cold, but I'll feel better if you have it," the barmaid added when he tried to protest, "food, a handkerchief, a pair of shoes. There should be caves in the mountains. You can settle in somewhere there. I… I would tell you to come visit us sometime, but I know you won't be able to. I promise, Ace, that we won't stop trying to make it possible. One day, you'll definitely be able to come back here. I just hope that that day comes sooner rather than later. Go. There's not much time left Ace. Those men can be here any minute. I give you my word that Luffy will be fine."

"Thank you, Makino. For everything." Ace turned to his brother. "Bye, Luffy."

"G'bye Ace. Don't die," the younger boy pleaded, his eyes full of tears.

"Don't worry. I won't." At least he wasn't planning to. Who knew how it would turn out?

"I promise I'll see you again."

* * *

><p>It was only now that he'd realized how wrong he'd been. More or less eight years had passed since that day. It was hard to keep track of time when you lived away from civilization.<p>

There was no way he would see Luffy again. Not Luffy, not Marco, not anyone else. Well, unless they came after him in an attempt to kill him.

He thought he may have started something with Marco. After all, the man hadn't been exactly _kind_ to him at first when he found out Ace was a witch. But he'd become accustomed to the situation eventually, when it became clear that he couldn't do anything about it. They had even become friends, as odd as that sounded. It was the first human contact he'd had in _years_! And, even though Ace hadn't felt that great about letting some random human live with him for that long, his loneliness had spoken for itself.

Unfortunately, he didn't have the time or the possibilities to change everyone's mind like that, and Marco would undoubtedly become ostracized if he started trying to convince people that witches weren't evil, if not to be killed on sight. Maybe one day in the future they could coexist peacefully. But not now. _Definitely _not now.

Ace sighed and turned to the next page of the book he'd already read a hundred times.

* * *

><p><em><strong>For all those interested, I have a Tumblr. The link is on my profile page. I might post previews of upcoming chapters or stories or maybe <strong>_**eventually**_** some drawings.**_


	5. No, Wait - It Did

_**I am pleased to say that I've finally been able to get back to this story, which means that I'll be updatng much, much more often :D**_

_**As always, beta read by lunarshores.**_

* * *

><p>For as long as he could remember, Marco had been an early bird. Out of all his siblings, he was always the first to rise. Today was no different. The clock on his bedside table showed that it was 6 AM when he woke. Marco stretched, letting out a soft moan at the feeling of the last traces of sleep fleeing from his muscles, before getting up to go set the kettle for some coffee. Or tea. Maybe he'd drink some tea, instead. He'd have some nice breakfast, and maybe he'd go visit Izo later.<p>

He hadn't seen Izo in a few days, and Marco had to admit he missed him. Not that he would admit it out loud– Izo would never let him live it down. He was so, so glad that he was surrounded by his family once again. Staying with Ace had been fun, once they'd gotten over the whole witch thing, but it wasn't the same. Going for so long without seeing Thatch and Izo and Vista and Haruta and all the others had been hard.

Ace.

Marco felt a wave of longing wash over him. He missed Ace too. He was a friend. A very good friend, and Marco didn't have many of those, always having preferred to keep to the company of his family. He wondered if he'd ever get to see him again.

He was in the bathroom, drying off after his morning shower, when he heard his front door slam open. Quickly throwing on a shirt and his favorite pair of capris, Marco exited the bathroom. He tip-toed to his room to get the hockey stick he kept there, to use as a weapon against the intruder. He was just about to leave his bedroom when he heard a voice.

"Marco? Where are you, man?!"

Marco suppressed the urge to groan. Thatch. What was _he_ doing up so early in the morning?

More importantly, what was Thatch doing in his house?

"I'll be right there, Thatch," Marco yelled back. He put the hockey stick back where it belonged and left for the living room, seeing as that's where Thatch most likely was.

Thatch was pacing back and forth across the floor in front of Marco's couch. He was dressed in a thick, white winter coat, and boots. His hair was slightly messy and tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. It had been a long, long time since Marco had seen Thatch's hair styled into anything other than his characteristic pompodour. It looked weird and out of character.

Thatch, stopped and looked up at the sound of Marco's footsteps, eyebrows furrowed in worry.

"What happened?" he asked, automatically knowing that Thatch wouldn't be here at this hour and in such a state if it wasn't something important.

"Foosha Village has been attacked. Oyaji ordered everyone to go there to help them." Marco's eyes widened in shock. Foosha Village wasn't far from New World. It was, what, a two- three hour walk away? He didn't know anyone who lived there personally, but a few of New World's residents had families there.

"What happened?" he asked, grabbing his coat off the hanger and throwing it on. His boots, a hat, a scarf, and a pair of gloves came next. Thatch shook his head.

"I have no idea. Someone saw some smoke a while back, but, you know, smoke's not all that uncommon around these parts– _everyone's_ trying to keep warm one way or another, but then there was more and more of it, so the guy went to tell Oyaji, and Oyaji figured that Foosha must be under attack for there to be _that_ much smoke and then–" Marco shushed him.

"Okay, okay. That's enough. What does Oyaji want us to do?" he questioned. The attacker had probably left the village by now, so there likely wouldn't be anyone to fight off, which meant that they would probably be administering medical aid to anyone in need of it. When Thatch confirmed his thoughts, he rushed back to his bedroom to get the first aid kit. It one of those bigger ones. Having brothers with an uncanny tendency to get into trouble meant that he needed to have more first aid supplies than most people.

He and Thatch left the house in such haste that Marco almost forgot to lock the door behind him. Not that he thought anyone was going to rob him or anything, but he didn't want to take any chances.

They practically ran to the stables, where their resident herd of reindeer was kept. Seeing as the weather was always cold, and snow covered the ground almost all-year-round, reindeer-drawn sleighs were the best way to get around quickly. Marco packed the first aid kit into the sleigh, while Thatch dealt with the reindeer. A few minutes later they were on the sleigh, the reindeer galloping through the snow, on their way to Foosha Village.

* * *

><p>Marco's first thought was that this had not been just any attack– it had been a massacre. Foosha Village had been completely decimated. The stench of smoke and death permeated the air, making Marco feel sick. Not a single building had been left standing. Every single one of them had crumbled to the ground in heaps of burned wood and shattered stone. Houses and stores alike had been turned into mere piles of rubble.<p>

Worst of all were the corpses spread out all over the place, most of them burned beyond recognition. They were too late. Marco tore his eyes away from three small bodies lying next to each other. The bastards hadn't even spared the children.

Marco slowly made his way through the remains of the village, observing as their own doctors pronounced the villagers they came across dead, one by one. Marco walked around in hopes of finding someone, _anyone_ who was alive, but those hopes diminished with every lifeless body he came across.

Thatch and some others had gone out to look for someplace they could dig graves for all of these people, and Izo had organized a group of people responsible for transporting all of the dead to one place. So far, they hadn't found a single person who was alive. Despite Marco knowing that it would take a few more hours to complete the search, he knew that it was very unlikely that anyone had survived.

Just then, he heard a soft groan to his right. Marco crouched down in front of the remains of what had, at one point, probably been a bar. He lifted a half-burned wooden beam and moved it to the side. He could see a hand. With newfound energy, Marco started removing the rubble from atop the body.

The person he found was a teenage boy. His black hair was messy, and his clothes were torn, but other than the burns that covered a good portion of his body, he appeared to be mostly unhurt. He groaned again as Marco carefully moved him out of the rubble, trying not to jostle him too much, so he wouldn't hurt him further. One last time, he made sure that the boy was, in fact, alive, and it wasn't his imagination making him see things. Marco leaned his head toward the boy's chest. He was flooded with relief when he felt a rush of warm air against his cheek.

"This one's alive!" he shouted, moving back and motioning for a doctor. When one finally came, he stepped aside to let her do her work. He spared the boy one last worried glance, before moving on to look for more survivors.

Just like he'd thought, there were none.

* * *

><p>Marco was sitting in the infirmary, observing the teenager lying on the bed in front of him. He'd been brought in yesterday and immediately shot up with painkillers for his burns, which seemed to cover just about every visible part of his body. Thankfully, from what Marco had heard, they weren't as bad as they looked (which was pretty bad).<p>

He wondered how it was that everyone else died, and this boy survived. He wondered how the boy would react to the information that everyone he'd ever known is dead. He wondered why there had been obsidian covering a good amount of Foosha Village.

But most of all, he wondered, as did everyone else, if it had been a witch who had attacked Foosha.

Marco studied the prone figure before him. The boy was probably the only one who could supply them with the answer to that question. It was only a matter of time until he woke up.

Marco had no idea how long he sat in the infirmary, but just as he was about to doze off leaning against the wall, the boy woke up. His brown eyes roamed around the room, slowly taking in his surroundings, before finally settling on Marco.

Or rather, on the top of his head.

"Your head looks like a pineapple." Marco blinked. Twice. Not entirely sure how he was supposed to reply to that, he instead reached for a glass of water and wordlessly handed it to the boy, who reached for it with shaky hands. Marco observed as he took a long sip, before handing it back.

"Where am I?" the boy asked, eyes once again roaming over the surroundings, flitting back to Marco every second or so.

"You're in New World. You're safe now." The boy blinked at him, as though not entirely comprehending what Marco had just said. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"…Safe? From what?" he questioned.

"Your village was attacked," Marco replied quietly, observing as the boy's eyes widened as he remembered. He tried to sit up, but Marco put a hand on his unhurt shoulder and gently, but surely pushed him back down to the bed.

"What about Makino? Where is she?" he asked quickly, looking around at the other beds, probably trying to find his friend. Marco averted his gaze, not wanting to see the boy's face when he found out. Marco had always hated seeing others in pain.

"She's dead. I'm sorry," he whispered. After a few moments of what must have been denial, Marco heard the boy move in his bed. Muffled sobs came right after. "They're all dead."

Marco waited for what must have been a good half an hour for the sobs to turn into sniffles. The boy had turned away from him to face the other way and curled in on himself. Marco leaned back against the wall and lifted his eyes to look at the ceiling, lost in thought for a few seconds, before lowering them back to the boy.

"What's your name?" Marco asked in an attempt to take the boy's mind off his deceased friend. He wouldn't be able to do it for long, as he had to get some answers from him, but hopefully it would distract the boy for at least a little while.

"Luffy," the boy answered in between sniffles. "I'm Monkey D Luffy."

"And how old are you, Luffy?" Luffy turned around to face him, eyes red and puffy.

"Whaddya care?" he mumbled. Marco sighed internally. He should have gotten Thatch to stay with Luffy instead. Thatch was friendlier; he'd have gotten along with Luffy more easily. Too bad Thatch was busy with something else...

In any case, Marco desperately needed information, and he wouldn't get that by beating around the bush. Still, Luffy was in a bad emotional place right now, so he'd have to be delicate. Where was Izo when he was needed the most?

Why did they stick _him _in this mess when he was clearly the one least suited for the job?

Oh, right. Because he'd been the one who'd found Luffy.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Marco asked quietly. Luffy glared at him half-heartedly through teary eyes, but relented a few seconds later.

"Some guy attacked us." Marco raised an eyebrow.

"One man?" A single person could do that much damage? He found that hard to believe, but Luffy had no reason to lie, in which case the attacker was most likely a witch– after all, not many humans could do that much damage in such a short amount of time.

Luffy nodded grimly, shifting so that he wasn't looking at Marco anymore, but out the window across the room.

"I wanna go to sleep," he mumbled. Marco was about to leave, when he decided to ask one last question. There was one last thing he needed to know.

"Was… Do you know if the person who attacked you a witch?" He saw Luffy tense at the word, before nodding stiffly. "Thank you." Marco left him to grieve his loss. He had to go tell his father what he'd just found out.

* * *

><p>Whitebeard narrowed his eyes at the information.<p>

"I'd figured as much. Not many humans can do that much damage. I haven't seen anything that bad since the war." Marco had only briefly heard about the war. No history book he'd found had had a detailed account of it, and the war had occurred long before he or any of his brothers had been born. Oyaji was one of the very few still alive who'd actually fought in it.

One thing Marco did know for certain was that the war had been against witches. Many had died back then, both human and not. It was probably part of the reason why Oyaji harbored such a grudge against witches. He, and the rest of the world. In their eyes, the witches were the ones responsible for the whole thing, for the death of family members and friends, and the destruction of many nations. Marco, like everyone else, had been taught to believe that all witches are evil.

He'd believed that until he'd met Ace. Ace was the one who showed him just how similar they actually were, and proved to Marco that all the bad things he'd heard about witches weren't true.

Now, though, he found himself leaning back toward his previous views. A witch had attacked a village and taken the lives of hundreds of innocent people. He could feel the hatred he thought had disappeared rising to the surface once again. He tried to squash it down, he really did, but it kept coming back. He knew this wasn't right, that he shouldn't blame a group for the actions of one individual, but the attack had planted a seed of doubt in his mind again. What if he'd been wrong about Ace? What if Ace had actually had some ulterior motive to healing him? What if… what if _he'd _been the one who had attacked Foosha.

Marco shook his head, berating himself. He knew he shouldn't doubt Ace, not when he'd shown Marco nothing but kindness, yet yesterday's events had had a large impact on him. Besides, the village had been burned to the ground. Burned, as in extreme heat was involved. Ace had the powers of fire, and hadn't he said that every witch had different powers? Marco groaned. He was overthinking this. There was no way Ace would do something like that. Sure, he hadn't spent _that_ much time with him, but he just _knew_, somehow, that Ace was better than that.

Unfortunately, it would appear that not everyone thought the same.

"Marco… you know that witch who 'saved' you a while back? What did you say his powers were?" Thatch asked.

"I didn't," Marco replied curtly. Oyaji, along with all of Marco's brothers were looking at him in suspicion. He should have known. He really, really should have known that their first thought would be that it was Ace. Not that he could blame them - Ace was the first witch they'd encountered in years, so there weren't really any other suspects. He didn't know if the witches were all in hiding, or if there were less people with the predisposition to become witches now than there used to be. Either way, there weren't as many of them around as there used to be.

"Marco, answer your brother's question," Whitebeard said. Marco's gaze flitted from one face to another. He really didn't want to answer their question; he knew what conclusion they'd come to, based off it. Still, he couldn't just refuse his father. Whitebeard _had_ raised him, after all. He'd cared for both Marco and all of his brothers. He deserved an answer.

Besides, Marco trusted him not to do anything drastic until they had some definite proof. A grudge was a grudge, but Marco still found it hard to believe that his father would hurt an innocent.

"...Fire. Ace controls fire." Everyone was silent.

"Thank you. That's all that we needed." Oyaji stood up. What Marco had just said was incriminating, sure, but it wasn't proof! They'd have to have at least _some_ proof other than this if they wanted to go after Ace! "Thatch, Izo, and Jozu- the three of you are going to find this Ace and bring him in using any means necessary." Marco stood up and slammed his hands on the table they were seated around, making the wood creak.

"Wait just a minute!" No one besides Whitebeard turned to look at him, all too busy talking about making preparations. "Oyaji, you can't hurt him! It wasn't Ace who did this! I swear, he'd never hurt anyone! You're making a big mistake!" Damn it, he wouldn't let them do this! This was wrong. He knew that this hatred towards witches was deeply rooted in his culture, that it was the norm, but this was just _unreasonable_!

"Easy, Marco," Thatch raised his hands in a placating manner in an attempt to calm him down. "We won't do anything we don't have to." Marco turned to glare at him.

"But why do we have to bring him in in the first place? He's not tied to this mess in any way- I can vouch for him! There is no way he could have done something like this!" Marco exclaimed. He looked at his father, glaze pleading. "Please, Oyaji. I know him, and I know he wouldn't hurt anyone. Just leave him be." Whitebeard's eyes met his. Marco could see the conflict. Being his father, Whitebeard knew that it wasn't easy to gain Marco's trust. On the other hand, Marco had heard of plenty of cases where witches had enamored human beings in an attempt to get them to do their bidding. He wouldn't be surprised if Whitebeard thought that this was one of them.

"I'm sorry, Marco, but this has to be done." Marco stared at him, eyes wide with disbelief. His eyes flitted over the faces of his brothers, one by one. They refused to meet his gaze.

"Marco..." It was Izo who spoke. "The best way to prove this witc- Ace's innocence is to question him, isn't it?" Alright, that statement had _some_ truth to it, but why couldn't they just take his word for it? He'd lived with Ace for such a long time. Ace hadn't done a single thing to cause him harm. He'd actually saved his life!

Why couldn't his family trust his judgement?

"Now, Marco, if you could tell us where we could find this witch?" Whitebeard asked. Marco didn't speak. He kept glancing between his brothers, hoping that maybe one of them would stand up against this stupid idea. When no one did anything but look at him in expectation, he gave up.

The only way to prove Ace's innocence now was to get him to tell Marco's family that he hadn't done anything.

"In the mountains, east from the village. There's a cave covered by a large boulder. Ace lives there." Marco felt terrible, telling them this. He felt as though he was betraying Ace's trust. It was all his fault that Ace would be put in danger, however slight. "I'll go with yo-"

"You'll be staying here." Whitebeard interrupted him.

"But Oyaji!" Marco protested.

"No, Marco. You will not be going with them. If that witch is by any chance controlling you, you could turn against us. You need to stay here." Marco clenched his fists, feeling blood trickle down his hand when his nails pierced skin. "Vista, please accompany Marco back home and make sure that he doesn't do anything rash." Vista stood up and walked to him. He placed his hand on Marco's shoulder.

"Come on, Marco. Let's go." Marco reluctantly let himself be pulled out of the room, but not before he gifted his family with one last glare.

"Don't you dare hurt him."

* * *

><p>When Marco left, everyone started buzzing around. People started grouping together to make plans, decide what to pack for the trip, and so on.<p>

Thatch and Whitebeard were the only ones who were quiet.

"That witch really did a number on Marco," Thatch muttered. "It's like he's ready to do anything for it. He's being unreasonable." Whitebeard sighed.

"This is why humans should stay away from those creatures. They're capable of taking control of the human mind. I fear this is what happened to Marco."

"...You were forced to kill your best friend when he was taken over, weren't you?" Thatch asked. He only now recalled the stories about witches Whitebeard had told them all when they were children.

Whitebeard nodded grimly.

"We need to find that witch, Thatch, and get it to undo whatever spell it has put on Marco, before it's too late." Whitebeard suddenly looked much, much older. "I wouldn't be able to bear losing him again."

"Don't worry, Oyaji. We'll get that bastard and fix this mess." Whitebeard looked at him, worry clear on his face.

"I hope so, Thatch. I hope so."


End file.
